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This article describes some of the challenges of supporting older adults' creative input to the design of an (as yet) undefined digital television application. Focusing on commonly used brainstorming and paper prototyping techniques, constructive insights are gathered from users with limited experience of interactive technology. Encouraging older participants to move beyond what they are familiar with, the research reports on how fragmented conceptual knowledge of familiar technologies can either facilitate or impede the creative development of new ideas. This includes bias or contradictory ideas that can emerge in the elicitation process. As reported, other factors, such as the self-perception of inadequate drawing skills, demonstrate further barriers for some older adults to articulate their visions and aspirations for suitably designed technology.

The move toward digital switchover increases content and introduces interactive services available through the television. UK legislation advocates universal access and equitable provision of services, across all platforms and equipment, particularly for ‘vulnerable’ groups. However, key aspects of usability and accessibility have been overlooked by those responsible for encouraging this new infrastructure’s inclusive development. Aspects of previous interactive television provision and developments in web accessibility appear to have been ignored, along with findings from relevant user-centred research and even from specifically commissioned reports. This paper will identify these issues and discuss their impact on the inclusiveness of DTV.

Over the last decade, the shift from analogue to digitaltechnology has brought about significant changes to thetelevision landscape. The subsequent emergence of mobile,IPTV and other carriers affords the opportunity to crea-tively reassess how people interact and engage within thisdiverging medium. Accessibility services to audio-visualcontent through sign language, subtitles and audiodescription have become vital forms of interaction for deafand hard of hearing, those with low literacy or learningdisabilities, and blind and partially sighted people.Improved accessibility affords both humane and economicbenefits to the wider society, as access to suitable inter-active media implies better quality of life, independenceand social inclusion. The payback for technology providersis also considerable, as greater inclusion implies broadermarket potential for commercial products. Digital televi-sion (DTV) potentially affords enhancements in commu-nication, quality of life, safety and support of independentliving. Related examples include community televisionapplications in the UK, where the medium has been used tosupport communication between older citizens in publichousing and local authority services [5], as well as socialtelevision solutions aimed at improving social connected-ness for older people living alone [11].Despite this, the dangers of a widening digital divideremain. Ease of use of DTV continues to be a formidableproblem—in the purchasing, self-installation of equipmentand access of content. Consequentially, there are still asignificant number of people who will struggle to adapt tousing this technology. Freeman and Lessiter [4] classifythese vulnerable groups as those on low incomes and/orwith a reduction in one or more ability. In particular, there isstrong evidence to suggest that reductions in cognition,sensory and manual dexterity can create significant barriersto the access of related interactive services. This includesthe poor design of remote controls, both in terms of theirdesign consistency, tactile feedback and appropriate label-ling of buttons. These issues can be further exacerbated byage-related changes to working memory, creating addi-tional ‘cognitive load’ in the mapping and switching ofattention between remote control and TV interfaces [2].Colour contrast, font type, screen size and distance to screencan all invariably affect text legibility; however, in manyinstances, DTV lacks support features to readily personalizegraphical content. As such, there is an increasing consensusthat the self-adaptation of the user interface will helpimprove interaction barriers for a wider spectrum of users.One notable example is the GUIDE project